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Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide

This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.

I installed Slackware 14.1 on my Raspberry Pi (512 meg RAM) using these instructions. To my surprise the memory footprint of it booting into the CLI is approximately 360 megs (determined using "free"). Even my x86 install on my laptop uses less memory (also a 32 bit 14.1 install). Raspbian and Arch on the same Pi use < 100 megs for a CLI boot. I think of Slackware as a lean, mean computing machine, which is why this surprised me.

So why is it this much of a memory hog? Inefficient distribution of RAM to the Framebuffer/GPU? Daemons starting at boot? If that is the case why is my x86 utilizing less memory?

On a side note, is the kernel for Slackware compiled for a hard or soft float?

I love Slackware immensely and will continue to use it on the Raspberry Pi, I am just curious.

Seems it will run on the PI but is not optimized for it. I tried a minimal install and had all kinds of problems until I started over with a full install. I got mine running fine but started stressing it and eventually it went in the weeds for a few hours and I killed power when I got home and that corrupted the drive so I need to install again.

I installed Slackware 14.1 on my Raspberry Pi (512 meg RAM) using these instructions. To my surprise the memory footprint of it booting into the CLI is approximately 360 megs (determined using "free"). Even my x86 install on my laptop uses less memory (also a 32 bit 14.1 install). Raspbian and Arch on the same Pi use < 100 megs for a CLI boot. I think of Slackware as a lean, mean computing machine, which is why this surprised me.

So why is it this much of a memory hog? Inefficient distribution of RAM to the Framebuffer/GPU? Daemons starting at boot? If that is the case why is my x86 utilizing less memory?

On a side note, is the kernel for Slackware compiled for a hard or soft float?

I love Slackware immensely and will continue to use it on the Raspberry Pi, I am just curious.

Something is wrong with your setup...

Because I use SlackwareARM 14.1 (also) in a 10" WonderMedia 8650 (ARMv5TE) netbook, sporting just 256MB RAM. Still, my setup having a full install (excluding KDE, KDEI) and it run nice and responsive under X.org, using XFCE4 as DE.

Have you checked with top or htop which process is using that much memory? Also, what exactly does free report?

Not yet but I will. The RAM is shared between the GPU and CPU. I wonder if a good chunk is being reserved for the GPU. There are ways to adjust that with the other distros. I am mostly using Slack from the command line and don't need fancy graphics.

Right after boot my Pi has 120Mb used most of which is cache and buffers ... the real usage is less then 20Mb. If I then start X with fluxbox window manager real usage rises to 25Mb.
Unfortunately I'm editing from my AC100 and cut and paste does not work from xterm ... otherwise I'd post the output of free to show the mem usage of my Pi.

I'm just guessing: you have enabled tmpfs in fstab that by default will use 50% of the available ram.

That's true but depending on what you do with the tmpfs it can happen that it gets used to something close to the default maximum allowed.
I've seen that happen on my printserver running on a seagate dockstar from readoly filesystem where all the stuff that needs to be written ends up in tmpfs. But it was just a guess with out having the output of free or /proc/meminfo ... ina nay case there is something odd with that system: my Pi is not on right now but I've handy my hedless salvaged tablet with a very similar setup to my Pi (practically the same packages installed and same amount of ram) and here is what it has to say about memory usage

There seems to be confusion about what free reports. The memory actually used by the system for applications can be found in the second row, in your case about 24MB. Have a look here: http://www.linuxatemyram.com/

There seems to be confusion about what free reports. The memory actually used by the system for applications can be found in the second row, in your case about 24MB. Have a look here: http://www.linuxatemyram.com/

Thanks. That makes for interesting reading. Interestingly the man page for free does not make that explicit.